Anorthosis protests refereeing decisions after defeat to Apollon

Anorthosis Famagusta suffered a 1-3 defeat against Apollon Limassol in a second-round match held at the Alphamega Stadium on September 5, 2026. Despite an improved performance compared to their league opener, the team left the field without points. Anorthosis briefly equalized in the first half when Kiko converted a penalty following a VAR review for a handball by Rodriguez, marking the team’s first goal of the season.

Controversy arose in the second half when a potential equalizing goal by Da Cruz at the 58th minute was disallowed by referee Marios Christoforou after a VAR check for a foul by Bergstrom. Team spokesperson Charalambos Parpettas expressed strong dissatisfaction with the officiating, specifically citing the disallowed goal and a late penalty awarded to Apollon as turning points that shifted the score from a potential 2-2 to the final 1-3.

Coach Nestor El Maestro acknowledged the disappointment of the defeat, emphasizing the urgent need for the team to start securing victories after two winless matches. The club management has indicated it will review the situation and reconsider its stance regarding the officiating decisions in the coming days.